How to Paint a Faux Concrete Bust using Milk Paint

The post shows you how to paint a faux concrete bust using milk paint and antiquing wax to create an old world European appearance.

If you are new to this blog: Welcome! My name is Anna and I share information on collecting antique/vintage items, refurbishing furniture and making small crafts/projects. The purpose of this blog is to share with you how to use creativity and antiques to make your home beautiful. In addition to information here on the blog, you can also follow me on the following social media accounts Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest.

Back Story

I don’t know about you, but I love European style. Especially those countries in western Europe like Britain, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. This past spring, Mr. SLH and I traveled to various countries in Europe where we found so much inspiration. One of the things that inspired me the most were marble busts used in interior and garden design. Some reproduction busts can be found HERE. While marble was the most commonly used material for sculpting busts found in the interiors of buildings, it was not uncommon to find concrete statues or busts used in gardens.

How to Paint a Faux Concrete Bust

The concrete looking bust used for this project is actually made out of resin. You can apply this technique to any object made out of resin. It’s important to note, the painting technique shown here is meant for items that will be used inside.

The bust I purchased was a dark grey color. The goal was to make it look more “Old World European” and to lighten it up using milk paint. Then I added some special touches to give it a concrete appearance and an aged feel.

I found this particular bust at Home Goods. She was decorated with seashells and corals which seemed a perfect compliment to the summer season.

Supplies

The first thing we need to do is gather our supplies. Where possible, I provided links to online resources. Where I live, upstate New York, milk paint is only available online.

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• Resin bust or statue. This is a good option. This is also a good option.
• MMS milk paint I used Farmhouse White
• MMS bonding agent
• MMS milk mix EZ
• MMS antiquing wax
• Dish soap – I used Dawn dish detergent
• Scrub brush
• Towel
• Soft rag
• Paint brush – I use Zibra brushes
• Small craft paint brush
• Wax brush – I like this set
• Craft paper to protect your work surface

Prep the Surface

First, you want to scrub the surface of the resin. I used warm water and Dawn dish soap to scrub all the crevices. Then I used a large towel to thoroughly dry the piece. You want to ensure there is no moisture in any of the crevices before moving on to the next step.

Prepare to Paint

Cover your work surface with heavy craft paper to protect it. Then mix up your milk paint. If you aren’t familiar with milk paint, it comes in a powder form and you mix it in a 1:1 ratio with warm water. For this project, I mixed up half a cup of powdered paint to half a cup of warm water. The goal is for the mixed paint to have the consistency of pancake batter. To ensure the milk paint has good adhesion to the resin, be sure to add MMS milk grip – a bonding agent.

It’s a good idea to have your paint brushes readily available too.

Paint the Bust

Although the bust came in a dark grey finish, applying the milk paint is what gave it a more aged concrete look. Start applying the paint to the bust, ensuring you reach all of the nooks and crannies. You might need to paint in phases. For example, apply one layer of paint to the front and let it dry. Then apply one layer of paint to the back and let it dry.

Normally, milk paint will dry in about 30 minutes. However, this depends upon how thickly the first coat of paint is applied. Since the weather here is in the mid 80s, I set mine outside to dry , which took about 40 minutes.

The first coat of paint will be splotchy. Don’t be deterred. I applied two coats of paint to the bust.

If you want some crazing to occur on your bust, you can use a hair dryer to speed up the paint drying process. If you don’t want any crazing (cracking) – then let the paint dry on its own.

Apply Antiquing Wax

This is the secret to achieving an old world look. Using your wax brush and the antiquing wax, start to apply the wax to the bust. Pay attention to those areas that would normally get dusty over time. Then using a soft rag, wipe off any excess wax. Repeat this process until you are happy with the “aged” results.

Enjoy your Faux Concrete Bust

Now, your Bust should have a faux concrete appearance with an old world appearance. It’s fun to adorn it with different accessories for the season.

As of now, she is sitting on my desk to keep me company.

For the fourth of July, I dressed her up with some handmade antique paper stars.

Here is a side view so you can see the shells in her hair. It will be fun to add Christmas accessories to the bust!

In Closing

Thank you for stopping by the blog today. Please take the time to visit some of the other ladies posts who made projects with the theme of “concrete”. There are some amazingly talented women who have great ideas and advice to share.

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Painting Concrete with Milk Paint